Labour’s Prison Release Scheme to be Reviewed

Andy Burnham has announced he will review the government's Sentencing Act amidst backlash over the potential release of the men responsible for the death of PC Andrew Harper.  

The Sentencing Act was introduced in January 2026 by former justice secretary David Lammy in an attempt to relieve overcrowding in prisons. The act states that offenders, even ones who have committed serious crimes, could be eligible for release after serving only half their sentence, providing that they have not broken any prison rules. Before this act was passed, offenders had to serve at least two thirds of their sentence to be eligible for release. 

Under this act, 6,000 offenders could soon potentially walk free, albeit they’re required to wear ankle tags. However, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has faced intense pushback when it came to light that Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole are among the individuals up for release. Bowers and Cole are two of the three individuals who were sentenced for manslaughter after the death of PC Andrew Harper in 2019, the third is not eligible for release. They were both sentenced to thirteen years in 2020 after Andrew Harper was killed attempting to stop them from carrying out a robbery. 

His death led his widow Lissie Harper to develop Harper’s Law, which was introduced in 2021, meaning those who kill on duty emergency workers receive an automatic life sentence. Andrew Harper’s mother has said that the potential early release of the men responsible for her son's death would be: “insult beyond anything able to put into words.”

In response to the backlash Burnham faced when this news was revealed today, he said: “I can't say that I can change the policy completely, but I will look at it in detail before we go further forward”.

Written by Jorja Flitcroft